North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has informed Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign that he does not want to be considered in their search for a vice presidential candidate, the governor said Monday night.
Cooper said in a declaration explaining his decision that although he was dismissive of the role, he still supported Harris’ candidacy.
“I strongly support Vice President Harris’ campaign for president,” Cooper said. “I know she will win and I was honored to be considered for this role. This just wasn’t the right time for North Carolina and me to potentially be on a national ticket.”
“As I’ve said from the beginning, she has a great list of people to choose from and we will all work to make sure she wins,” he added.
The New York Times first reported that Cooper was withdrawing his name from consideration.
A source directly involved in Harris’ search for a running mate said Cooper dropped out of the race because he wants to run for U.S. Senate in 2026. The source said Cooper never indicated to the campaign that he wanted to be vice president and told Harris aides that he didn’t want to be considered.
NBC News previously reported that interviews with some Democratic members pointed to Cooper, along with Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, as the leading candidates to join Harris on the Democratic ticket.
Other governors, including Kentucky’s Andy Beshear and Minnesota’s Tim Walz, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg are among those who have also been considered as possible running mates.
Harris’ campaign previously said it plans to select a running mate by Aug. 7.
This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com read the full story
